Getting By
by Shelbey
Summary: Naïve little Butters would always be the sunshine in the world, for as long as he lived.


It was like something out of a really bad teen movie. He walked by and the girls swoon, their boyfriends glared and his confidence soared to new heights, not that it wasn't already sky high. He had his hands in his pockets, his chin up high, and he brushed his blond hair out of his face, turning to his locker in the hallways of South Park High. He wasn't surprised to find a couple of intricately folded up notes stuffed in through the vents on the locker, one from Bebe Stevens and the other from Red, neither of which he planned on reading.

Kenny McCormick grew into a handsome teen, his features sharp, with high cheekbones and brilliant blue eyes. He grew tall, fit, and the muscles came naturally from working on cars at the local garage all afternoon. He always had a bit of dirt smudged on clothes somewhere, but he didn't care. He went from the perverted, muffled kid in an orange parka to a perverted, player of a young adult in an orange hoodie. It wasn't much of a change, except for the fact he could see all the boobs he wanted to, whenever he wanted to, and none of the girls actually hated him after he hit it and quit it. It was the perfect little set up in their little hick town, and there was a very strong chance that he'd slept with all the eligible ladies in South Park.

He tossed the notes out of his locker and into the garbage nearby, putting his backpack inside and slamming it shut. Kenny never felt at place inside of school, and though he was nearly flunking out, he made it to the final quarter of his senior year on time, much to everyone's surprise. He pulled out his packaged lunch and sat at the table he and his friends claimed on the first day of high school, eating his sandwich thoughtfully. "H-hey Ken. Mind if I sit with ya? The fellas at the other table said I can't sit with them today, and you looked pretty lonely, sitting by yourself and all." Kenny took a moment to watch Craig, Clyde, and Token take up an entire table, snickering at Butters talking to Kenny. Tweek, for his part, just looked uneasy.

Butters Stotch rubbed his knuckles together in a nervous habit he had since kindergarten, anxious to see if Kenny would allow him to sit there or not. "Course, Butters, sit down, dude." The young man obliged, carefully putting his tray on the table next to Kenny and sitting down snugly beside him, even though there was no one else on the bench. He didn't mind though; Kenny like Butters' company, he was the only truly kind person left in this entire town. Their closeness garnered attention from the girl's table across the way, Bebe the first to look over and alert her friends.

"Ah, Kenny, dude, what the fuck?" Eric Cartman slammed his tray down across from Kenny, looking furious as he did so. "Fucking Butters? Are you serious right now?" Stan and Kyle soon joined their table, wondering why Cartman was in such a pissed off mood. Kenny chuckled at his irritation, sending Eric into an even further level of frustration, and wrapped an arm around Butters' shoulders.

He said, "Butters is our friend, why can't he sit with us? Craig and those guys are being a bunch of assholes to him. Be nice."

"I can get going, if you like," Butters mentioned, his face dropping in sadness. As always, he didn't stand up for himself. "I don't mind sitting by my lonesome, I just wanted to make sure Ken here wasn't alone, too." Cartman stared at Butters like the boy had just said something completely obscene, though to Eric his definition of obscene was the exact opposite of most people's.

He choked out a laugh and said loudly, "That is the gayest thing I've ever heard, Butters, and that's coming from a guy whose known Kyle since kindergarten." Kyle's temper flared up almost instantaneously and he began to yell at Cartman, who took the bait and began to yell back. Stan tried to resolve the conflict, but Kenny was only worried about Butters right then. He was hurt, that was for sure, his eyebrows knitting and his mouth skewed into a frown, tears glittering at the corners of his eyes and his knuckles raw from being pressed together.

"Fuck off Cartman, you're just grumpy because I screwed your mom," Kenny said with a grin, turning around on his seat and picking up his lunch, tugging on Butters' arm. Butters complied easily, and the two could hear the distraught cry from Cartman and the hysterical laughter from the rest of the cafeteria as he finally realized what Kenny said. But the two of them were long gone before it registered, and Kenny sat outside the school with Butters at his side, the two of them enjoying their lunch in the calm, quiet Colorado air.

Butters asked after a moment, "You didn't really... with Cartman's mom did ya, Ken?"

He shrugged. "She's kind of a MILF, even if she did give birth to that thing. What people don't understand, Butters, is that everyone needs to keep sex in perspective. I like girls I can be friends with and fuck, and not have their feelings get mixed up in what can just be a fucking awesome thing for all of us." Butters was in awe as Kenny spoke, and it didn't really register with Kenny why, but it was sweet. Naïve little Butters would always be the sunshine in the world, for as long as he lived. No matter what happened to him, his optimism would carry him through life whole.

"I don't know about that, Ken," he replied, staring down at his feet. "I mean, I thought making love was meant for someone and their special person, not all willy nilly with the whole world." Kenny chuckled and wrapped Butters up in his arms again.

He admitted, "I've never made love, Butters, just had sex. You have to be _in_ love to _make_ love, and no one I've been with I've been in love with." He could tell that confused Butters, but he didn't know how else to put it. Life wasn't a fairy tale, you didn't get swept off your feet and fall in love and live happily ever after. Not Kenny, anyway. He was some kind of immortal hellspawn that didn't deserve to love and be loved in return. He was just getting by in the world, waiting until the day came that he died for good, and living it up until it happened.

Butters snuggled up against Kenny's chest as they finished their lunches, waiting for the bell to ring to alert them that lunch was over. "Well, Ken, I hope you do fall in love one day because it's the most magical feeling."

He smiled, kissing the top of Butter's head and replied, "I'm sure it is."


End file.
